Kiss of Death
by Vellamo13
Summary: Death Note dropped again, but it seems we won't have another Kira. Does every owner of it have to be unhappy? Short story of forbidden affection with an unexpected ending, inspired by shinigami.
1. 01 - The New Owner

After few weeks of doing peaceful nothing, he was called to visit the King and talk with him. 'Sooo, is there anything wrong that I've made in the humans'world, that he wants to speak with me?', Ryuuku thought suspiciously when flying to see King Shinigami.

\- Here you are, Ryuuku - said the King, looking at him with his cold-as-ice eyes.

\- Yes, my Lord - shinigami took a deep bow with a bit of exaggeration, but he also shivered a little bit. He knew that the King couldn't kill him, but still was afraid of losing his function as a god of death.

\- I'm glad that you have given Sidoh's note back - King began with no emotions on his face. - You know, I don't want any confusions here. But I must admit that you had brought me a lot of fun, when you were on Earth following that boy, Raito* - King changed his voice saying this, pointing his long, slim finger at the demon - but now I'm completely bored, there's nothing interesting to look at! - he looked a bit irritated when saying this, showing grey clouds and some rocks hidden behind the fog. - I want you to drop your Death Note one more time, wherever you want - he ended, whispering with wide smile on his face, showing sharp teeth.

Ryuuku felt relieved. He looked at the King, tilting his head to one side and then also smiled, feeling the new adventure coming.

He looked for a good place for few days and eventually he decided to 'give' his note to use of an old farmer living in a small cottage. 'It will be interesting', he giggled, thinking about so hermetic community with unknown murderer inside. 'What would that people do?', he asked himself, feeling a thrill.

In the afternoon he flew down to the humans' world holding his note...

Evening came and Ernest was taking the last look at his field, as the sun went down. He was quite tired after whole day full of work on his farm. It wasn't so big, but work won't do itself. He just turned his back on the field and wanted to go away as the supper was for sure ready, but he stopped suddenly, noticed that something slightly gleamed in the grain. He felt like he really don't want to do it, but he returned anyway and bend down to pick that thing up. It appeared to be black notebook with 'DEATH NOTE' writing on its cover. Old man stretched his back and looked at notebook, frowning. Before he decided to throw it away he opened it briefly; he simply couldn't help being intrigued in what the thing he found on his field is. 'The human whose name is written in this note shall die', he read and closed notebook decidedly. 'Someone makes the fool of me, right?', he thought and looked around. He hadn't seen anybody, but felt disturbed anyway - like someone else was standing next to him and encouraging to open that weird note one more time. Ernest could feel sweat coming down his neck as the cool evening wind blew, when he opened notebook again. This time he read quickly whole first page and shook his head. He decided to take this. 'I know that's some stupid joke, but I don't want to get my tractor broken by riding through such a thing!', he explained to himself and finally took the way home.

He entered his house with note hidden behind his shirt and before he went to the kitchen, he put mysterious thing on the desk in his bedroom. When Ernest entered the kitchen, there was nobody and only plate with cold dish waited for him on the table. 'Neris surely had eaten her supper', he thought. Now for four years he was living alone with his granddaughter. Her parents died in car accident when she was only four and grandparents were taking care of her, but two years ago Ernest's wife died, too. Since then they were alone in that old house - old man and young girl, who is now 16 years old.

After eating he went to his bedroom and looked at the note again. 'What's wrong with it? Am I really considering writing something in it? Unbelievable. I better hide it somewhere so that Neris couldn't find it when she will clean up tomorrow', he decided and pushed black notebook between the pile of old newspapers and magazines standing by his desk. He was sitting one more minute trying not to think about that suspicious, weird thing that he found and then he stood up and took the way to his granddaughter bedroom.

\- Are you already asleep, my little girl? - he asked quietly, opening the door.

Neris shivered slightly hearing his voice asking THAT way. She knew what is going to happen next, but she couldn't do anything to prevent it - it continued since her grandma died. Her hands were tied - she couldn't tell anybody about what is happening few times a week in her bedroom, because nobody would believe that. All people living near knew her granddad for years and she was only a meaningless member of dead family, who helped with work.

\- Why haven't you waited for your grandpa to eat the supper together, hmm? - he asked one more question, unbuttoning his trousers.

She still didn't asked, trying not to cry when he started to touch her thighs and pull her nightdress forcing her to take it off. As always, these minutes of torture were twice as long as normal, when she only tried not to look at his face and not to scream. 'I should get used to it, it's nearly two years since that began', Neris thought, closing her eyes. 'I will NEVER get used to it!', she yelled at her head, feeling something wet and sticky on her legs. She trembled and was still trembling when the man gently stroked her cheek and then left her room without any word.

'I would never say that these quiet village people could hide so dark secrets', Ryuuku giggled gloomily, looking at Ernest leaving the girl's bedroom. 'But what with my note? I hope he will eventually write something in it!'. He also was about to leave, stamping across the ceiling, when he looked once more at the girl, who was lying on her back, looking almost like she was dead.

Next day started as if nothing had happened last night. Neris woke up early and prepared breakfast for her granddad, then she went to feed the animals and bring milk home. When she passed Ernest on the backyard, he smiled friendly saying 'hello' to her, and she smiled too, with no sign of fear or sadness. 'She's interesting!', shinigami noticed, seeing her perfect face expression. 'It would be better if I gave Death Note to her...', he thought, feeling slightly excited thinking about innocent girl's revenge.

That day were quite long for all the three beings on Ernest's farm. The man was on his field picking his harvest. It wasn't an easy task and he was aware that it would take next days to finish that work. At the same time Neris was taking care of farm animals and cooking dinner and Ryuuku was flying around the field and the house. 'What a boring people! I must do something to make him finally using the note. And I would eat some apples, up there of course weren't any, I almost forgot what they taste like... just a moment... yes, that's it', he smiled, showing his teeth looking at a huge garden behind the fence. Then he sat on one of the apple trees and started eating.

Not even a week passed by, when Ernest went to his fruit garden to see if apples and pears are ripe and ready to be picked. He walked patientlyfrom tree to tree, when noticed that one of them... no, two, three... almost seven of them hadn't got any fruits on them - only a few small apples were hidden behind the leaves. Old man went insane. 'My hard work with breeding... got simply robbed! Now I've got a lot smaller harvest to sell!.. I know... yes, I knew it! It must be Luke, neighbours' son... or even two of their sons, they were always hanging suspiciously close to my garden without any reason... what a impudent thieves!', he thought, feeling his anger growing, what his red, sweaty face showed best. He quickly returned to the house, to his bedroom, leaving his lunch untouched on the table. Then he picked up Death Note from the stack of papers and opened it, sighing. He stared at it for few long minutes, trying to calm down - still thinking about how unreal is it to kill somebody without even touching that person... he thought about two young boys, brothers. He also had a brother... no, that leads nowhere. He knew that both were mavericks and hellraisers, but still having all their lives to live... No! Ernest wanted to prevent changing his mind and recalled that his precious trees were left without any fruits on them... he took a pen with decisive move and at the same moment he heard silent laughter somewhere behind him. Ernest looked back, a bit scared (surely more scared of his own thoughts about causing somebody's death), but nobody was there. He turned back to black notebook with second page opened and started writing. At that time he didn't mind any consequences - he was interested only in a very quick revenge and didn't fully believe that mysterious note will help him with it.

* yes, I know that his original name is 'Light'. Maybe I will be using both forms ('Raito'-form was in subtitles to 'Death Note' which I watched, probably as a subscription for Japanese pronunciation).


	2. 02 - First Touch

_Luke Graham_

 _Chris Graham_

After he wrote brothers' names, he sighed loudly and shut the note, sliding it away from himself.

\- You don't want to run away from what you've just done, don't you? - Ryuuku asked with his slightly playful, but still quite deep voice, looking at the man from above.

Ernest shivered hearing something that unexpected - and that real. He momentally stood up, pushing his chair so forcefully that it fell on the floor with loud noise. He looked around him but didn't notice anybody. Then he heard that annoying giggle once again and finally moved his sight on the ceiling, where shinigami squatted down in some weird position.

\- Aah! Who... who are you?! - he coughed up, still trying to control his voice despite his terror, but as a result all the question have sounded a bit funny.

\- Ryuuku - he answered, turning his head almost 180 degrees.

Old man goggled his eyes and ran out from the room, stamping loudly on wooden stairs as he went up. One minute later he was back with some huge and dusty hunting rifle, targeting the demon.

\- Ooh, calm down - he said slowly, coming down to the floor and standing in front of Ernest - I'm shinigami, the owner of Death Note.

\- Wh-what? What, shinigami? What's this? You stupid creature, I'll teach you something about how impolite is that to enter somebody's house uninvited... - he hissed through clenched teeth and, having his gun loaded, he shot.

Only the window behind Ryuuk went broken. Shinigami turned his head back once again, to see what happened. At the same moment man started slowly going backwards, but he suddenly stopped, hearing some scream coming from near standing house. He carefully looked through the broken window, trying to stay unseen, as he noticed his neighbour's wife running out of the house, screaming and tearing her hair.

\- Interesting, what could have happened? - Ryuuk asked ironically, looking from behind Ernest's back.

Old man were observing her falling to the ground with cold sweat running down his neck. His heart seemed to beat so loud, that whole village could hear it. 'It can't be true', he thought, trying to calm down. He believed that if he will ask them tomorrow, it will appear that nothing really bad have happened. He sighed, still fraught, and again put the note between papers - just in case. Then he took way to his granddaughter's room. Ryuk frowned and followed him, but decided to stay behind the door.

\- How are you, Neris? - Ernest changed his voice, speaking now gently and slowly.

\- Thank you, fine - she answered quietly and her voice sounded completely emotionless.

\- I love you, but I had so bad and exhausting day... - he whispered, starting to touch girl's arms and legs.

She haven't even moved, just letting him do everything, that he made always - and letting him go away, leaving her in pain and tears.

As he left her bedroom, he closed the door carefully and leaned against it, closing his eyes for a moment.

\- Do you feel better? - Ryuuk asked with hoarse voice, floating around in the air above him.

\- It's not your business, freaky creature - old man answered harshly and went to his room.

The next day didn't begin nice to Ernest, as he saw a long, black funeral wagon at the Grahams' backyard. He left his breakfast in the middle and, like mesmerized went on the path leading to neighbours' property. He meant to ask what happened, but when he saw the family, all dressed black, with eyes with dark rings around them, he just couldn't stammer any word. In addition, he couldn't stand the feeling of being constantly observed by shinigami, who seemed to smile mysteriously all the time. 'If I won't ask, they may think that I know something about that', he thought with dread. At the same moment he heard very quiet and annoying giggle and then whisper: 'You start thinking right, Ernest... let's try that game!'

He went back to house, but turned right around the corner and took the way to the forest. 'I will better calm my nerves down by a short walk', he decided. 'Were few pounds of apples worth lives of two young boys?', he thought intensively, feeling more and more guilty. 'I should try this wicked note on some criminal first'. Only this thought came to his mind, he stopped suddenly, like paralyzed. 'Criminals. Killing criminals by sentencing them... to heart attack... K-Kira...'. He was completely thrilled, comparing his deed with main villain of last years, who became known for spreading his terror all over the world.

\- Heart attack sound familiar, doesn't it? - Ryuuku asked a bit sarcastically, but his always-happy-looking face and big, round eyes expressed any particular emotions.

\- It's you again? - Ernest turned his head and looked at the demon with irritation.

\- Again? Don't you know that when you're owner of my note, I'm going to follow you? Do what you have to, I'm only watching.

\- No, you're not only watching. You're commenting way too much, what makes me angry, and you'd better stop it.

\- As you wish, Ernest - Ryuuk responded playfully, shrugging his shoulders.

Next afternoon old man with his granddaughter attended funeral of Graham brothers, which was very, very nostalgic and full of mourning. Ernest with shaking hands observed common, wooden coffins and offered condolences to his neighbours. So he was very glad to be back home, where he took off his suit and tight shoes, which he only wore on big occasions. And, what's the most important - here nobody could say, that he is the murderer. He sat once again in front of his desk, pulling out Death Note and staring at it tenaciously. 'Kira's' case ended surprisingly and nobody heard anything more about him. And now those heart attacks again... I won't use it', Ernest thought resolutely, standing up and pulling a box covered with dust from under his bed. Then he put some of the papers on the bottom, placed notebook on them and covered with old, faded magazines. 'At least I get rid of this trash', he thought. He lifted the box and before he left his bedroom, he looked if Neris wouldn't see, where he hid it. 'It's too dangerous to let my little girl know about that thing', he smiled with half of his mouth, but thought about Neris finding the Death Note made him shiver. Ernest placed the box in the barn, between ancient-old sideboard and yellowed fridge, broken for ten years or even more. 'Who would look for something among these old garbage?', he sighed with relief and slowly returned to the house, where supper was ready.

'Oh, no', Ryuuku winced, imagining upcoming days and even months of boredom. 'I must do something... of course I cannot take the note now... but maybe someone else could pick it up from oblivion?'. His head was full of sly thoughts.

Next day wasn't any more interesting. Ernes was trying to forget about death of Graham brothers and about the note; Neris, quiet as always, hoped that this evening she could go to sleep wit peace, and Ryuuk all day was flying around the field and farm, eating apples and observing people. In the evening he decided to look what they are doing in the house. He found only one dirty plate left on the kitchen table after supper and when he flew upstairs, he stopped suddenly, hearing some sounds from the girl's bedroom. He knew, what he would see if he would look inside. Not exactly knowing why, he clenched his fist and bared his teeth.

\- What a pervert - he growled quietly.

At the same moment when Ernest left the room, Ryuuk percolated through the wall and looked at Neris. She was lying curled up and sobbed quietly, swaying slightly. Shinigami came a little closer to her and looked with interes at her red eyes and tears soaking in a pillow. 'People are so interesting!', he thought. Once again this evening, he didn't know why, but he just reached his hand and gently stroked her hair. 'My hair isn't so soft', he reacted with even more curiosity on his face. The girl shivered suddenly under his touch; for one moment she was sure that his granddad came back, but when she opened her eyes and touched her hair - where before five seconds she felt somebody's hand - she saw nothing. She lifted herself violently and looked around, but there was nothing distressing. She lied again and covered herself with a blanket, when she felt this weird touch one more time. She shivered slightly, still being a bit scared, but she thought: 'maybe I'm completely messed up and it's some symptom of my psychosis? I don't care. At least that's quite pleasant and soothing'. She fell asleep and her sleep was peaceful today.


	3. 03 - Loss

3.

In the next few days two interesting things happened. Firstly... Ernest, taking a walk in his garden, had noticed that there are less and less apples on trees. He was completely thrilled as he realized that it couldn't have been Graham brothers who had stolen his fruits. He even considered trying to use Death Note again, but he quickly resigned. 'I don't know who's guilty and not that evil and soulless person', he said to himself, hearing shinigami giggling behind his back. On the other hand, Ryuuk was totally bored. 'If it's not for unlimited apples, I'll die of this boredom', he complained. After the next evening, when Ernest had been in his granddaughter's bedroom once again, the demon came up with an idea. 'It doesn't make a sense to kill that old man'. Then, as he realized what came up to his mind first, he was completely dumbstruck. 'No, you stupid creature!', he upbraided himself. 'Don't even think about saving somebody's life!'. Then he smiled astutely and thought: 'This person can make it on her own...'.

He started his plan in the morning, when Ernest went to the market. Neris was alone, doing the dishes, when she suddenly heard something falling on the floor. It was a big, red apple. 'Apples again, huh?', she thought a bit irritated, recalling the anger of her granddad and bent down to pick the fruit up, but it rolled forward unto door. That repeated twice more and she straightened up, frowning with anger. She looked around and she was on the point of returning to the kitchen, when she noticed another apple lying in front of opened door to the house. Girl left the first apple and went to second, still suspiciously looking around. When she noticed third apple in the middle of the backyard, she thought: 'someone's making the fool out of me'. She just decied to go back, when the last apple... moved slightly. 'The wind for sure cannot move something that heavy'. Neris run to the fruit, sure that she would pick it up, but it also rolled quickly and stopped at the barn's door. 'What am i doing!', she finally thought, feeling stupid and naive. 'Am I believing in something paranormal that... yeah, that's it... that's showing me way to something?'. She pulled the wooden door and looked around. Fourth apple was lying on the old, dusty box.

'Yes, you should open it', Ryuuku whispered with insanely wide smile, despite the fact that the girl couldn't hear him.

\- What, that pile of trash? - she asked aloud and carefully opened the box. She looked quickly at faded covers of some magazines. - Yes, some old garbage for old perverts - she said, slowly taking them out.

When she eventually found, what she was supposed to find, she didn't hesitate any moment; she simply knew, that that's the thing.

-Well done - she heard unknown male voice from behind a stack of hay.

\- I know it was you who made me find this weird thing - she said bravely, holding the note with two fingers. - Show yourself.

\- You're clever - shinigami said, coming out of his shelter.

As she had seen him, she goggled her eyes and looked at him with opened mouth.

\- You're not scared of me? - he asked, a bit disappointed.

\- You led me here, right? What for? - she asked, changing her voice.

\- Open the note, Neris.

\- You know my name?! - now she was really surprised.

\- Yes. I'm shinigami. I can see anyone's name. Now open the note.

She dutifully oppened it.

\- 'The human whose name is written in this note, shall die'. What? Is that true?

\- Of course. Do you wanna try it? - his voice sounded playfully as he hoped for a good fun.

\- Details of the death, heart attack... wasn't it a heart attack what the Graham brothers... - she stopped speaking, opening the next page. Then she covered her mouth with her hand, realizing what she's holding. - It was my granddad who have killed them, wasn't it?

\- Yes.

\- And the note belongs to him?

\- It's mine. But in fact, now it still belongs to him.

\- Still?

\- Yes.

After his answer she shut down the notebook and, still kneeling on the ground, bursted out laughing loudly. 'Here comes the revenge', Ryuuku thought, looking at insanely laughing girl. She pressed the note to her chest and, loking carefully if nobody could see her, returned to the house. Trembling a bit of excitation and afraid of beeing seen, she hid Death Note in the pantry, in some place under the removable piece of wooden floor, about which only she knew. There were her biggest treasures - few gold rings and silk scarf inherited after her grandma.

Since that moment she was in constantly good mood, only trying not to look suspiciously happy, as she always used to be very quiet and untalkative person.

Ryuuku mostly followed Ernest (of course when he wasn't in the garden eating apples), but on third day after finding the note by Neris, he showed himself again to ask about her plans.

\- Do you gonna do sometjing particular or did you just want to hide this note better?

She loked around to be sure nobody was listening.

\- You're a bit impatient, huh? - she said with slight smile on her face. - Don't worry, I'm just thinking about the best way to die for my dear grandpa - she explained.

Ryuuku giggled as he always used to.

\- Then I hope that you won't make any stupid mistake - he responded and thought: 'or you'll get caught very quickly'.

After two days, in the evening, all was like always. Ernest almost forgot that one week earlier he attended to the funeral of two boys, who died because of his decision. His grain and fruit trading were going quite well and now he was leaving warm and nice bedroom of his granddaughter... he looked around, feeling that shinigami is still following him.

\- Are you gonna stalk me forever? - he asked, a bit irritated.

\- Until you're the owner of the Death Note, or until you die - Ryuuku answered, trying not to laugh as he looked at numbers shown above Ernest's head.

Old man sighed and went to his bedroom.

\- You know, there will be much more interesting, if you would write something in my note... - demon began, trying to encourage him as he followed the man downstairs.

\- Leave me alone. I'm not gonna use this at all. And particularly not for your fun.

Ryuuk lowered his shoulders and turned back, wanting to know how's Neris doing. He was really surprised to see her sitting on her bed not crying, with peace on her face.

\- I've finally done it - she coughed up, still not moving.

\- Is he dead yet? - shinigami couldn't help his curiosity.

\- Oh, no, not yet. I've got some imagination, Ryuuku. It couldn't end so simply... and suspiciously at the same time - slight smile showed on her face.

'She's more sneaky than I thought', he smiled and decided to wait for things to happen.

He didn't have to wait long, because the next afternoon that moment eventually came. Neris was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for two people, as always, when she heard some very, very loud scream. She smiled with some sick gleam in her eyes, but as she ran out of the house, her face loked really worried. She went straight to the field, where she heard the voice were coming from.

She suspected, what she could find there, but when she saw it, she was a bit shocked, anyway. Her grandpa was standing in the middle of the field, with his trousers slided down and his hands and legs covered with blood. What's more, he left his machine working and now it was moving closer and closer to him. Old man war trying to run away when he noticed that it would be very dangerous, but he got tangled with his own trousers and fell down.

The girl covered her mouth with her hand, but Ryuuku had seen, that she's not even a little bit scared. Her eyes were wide open and full of satisfaction.

\- What have you written in the note, good grandpa's girl?

\- Today, in the afternoon he will go to the field with his machine and after starting it he will get out to the open space. Then he will cut out his own penis with a knife, but no one else would see it, because he'll be chopped by his own working tool soon. Here we go. And don't call me like that again.

\- Okay, okay, I won't. You're becoming dangerous.

\- I don't want to be dangerous. I just want to be free. I'm gonna sell this hovel as soon as possible, but now I must play the role of loving granddaughter in mourning.


	4. 04 - Starting a New Life

Of course, nobody doubted that that was a really, really unfortunate accident and she, barely 16-year-old girl couldn't make anything to help her beloved granddad, and the last member of her family. All neighbours helped her to organize the funeral and offered help with the farm, but her plans were a bit different.

\- It's very nice of you all, thank you - she said, drying off her nose with a tissue - but I simply cannot live here alone, where all of my family passed away. For me it's now only a symbol of pain and loss. I'm going to move to the city and try to start a new life.

'Poor girl', they nodded with sad faces. 'But she's already an adult*, she'll make it out.'

Neris returned home, feeling relieved from all these sympathetic people surrounding her for last few hours.

\- Now we must only collect all important papers and find someone who will buy this house and farm.

\- Hm, I'm afraid I couldn't help you with papers... - Ryuuku muttered.

\- Yes, but you can help me pack all my things... - she stopped, observing his a bit disappointed face. - And... Ryuuku?

\- Yes?

\- Nobody else is going to eat that apples this year. You can eat all that are left on the trees - seeing his smile, wide and full of joy, she also smiled.

One month later finally came the moment, when she sold all old poverty and decided to buy some small flat in Edinburgh. Here appeared one problem, which she wasn't aware of - farm and old house with wooden barn weren't worth enough money to buy a flat and to live. She had to find some work.

Firstly, she thought: 'that's nothing worrying. In such a big city I'll find something to do very quickly, I'm used to work!'. But after few days of trying and searching, only one possibility was left - a waitress in some cheap restaurant near the centrum. As she knew, that she would need the money to pay bills soon, she had taken this offer.

Ryuuku was lying on a fluffy carpet, looking through some of books, which Neris had taken from her old house. 'Boring', he thought, as he had hope for some more interesting things to happen in the city. Then he heard a sound of unlocking the door - the girl came back from the work.

She threw her bag on the floor and fell down on bed without even taking her coat off.

\- I'm exhausted. I hadn't thought that it would be so hard work! All day I must run to serve crowds of customers...

\- You say it almost everyday. Maybe you should change the job... or boss... - Ryuuk smiled to his thoughts.

\- But... I somehow don't want to do it. You know... I met someone.

Shinigami lifted his eyebrows, surprised.

\- Yes - she continued - I'm still a bit afraid of being closer with man, but... he's so nice and his smile is so cute... - she said with joy on her face. - Maybe we could make a relationship which would help me to overcome my past...

\- Does he know that you like him?

\- Well... no, I don't know... but I cannot simply ask him! - she shook her head.

\- Why are you looking at me like that? I don't know, I have never had such a problem - Ryuuku moved his shoulders.

\- Next week - she decided - next week I have to start a conversation with him!

That moment came sooner than she could expect. Since that day she was always in a good mood, even if she was tired after work.

\- I guess he likes me - she said on one evening, lying on the floor in her bath robe and staring at the ceiling.

\- I guess you've fallen in love with him - Ryuuku responded with his full of irony and hoarse voice.

Neris blushed as she heard it, but when she thought again about what shinigami said, she must confess that was true.

Few days later she finally decided to make a first move and ask her workmate for going out to the cinema together.

\- What are you doing? - Ryuuku asked, seeing her putting her make-up.

\- I'm going to work soon - she responded, moving her shoulders.

\- But not as always - he said, flying closer to her.

She ignored his words for a moment, until she looked in the mirror and noticed shinigami's tongue awkwardly close to her neck.

\- What are you doing? - she asked a bit shocked, frowning.

\- You smell like an apple today - he answered, innocently looking at her through the mirror with his big, round eyes.

\- It's only perfume, Ryuuku. Stop trying to lick me or bite me.

He sat on the floor, disappointed with her words.

\- I'd love to eat an apple - he told quietly.

'I know that girl probably shouldn't propose such a thing first', she thought. 'But I'm sure he wouldn't refuse!'. Ryuuk only looked at him and then at her, without a word.

\- Mark? - she went outside, to the terrace, where he was finishing his work.

\- Oh... hey, I hadn't noticed when you've come here.

\- You know... - she began, trying to overcome her awkwardness - I wondered if you fancy going out with me tonight? - she coughed out, feeling her cheeks turn red and hearing Ryuuk slightly giggling behind her back.

\- I'm sorry, Neris... I've already made plans for today - he answered and wanted to say something more, but she went back and quickly came out of the restaurant, as her work for today was already done.

Only she opened the front door, she bumped into a tall girl with long, blonde hair. She apologized for staying on the way and the asked quietly:

\- Excuse me, do you know if Mark have already finished his work?

\- ... he... he would finish in a minute - Neris answered extremely fast, as she was really shocked, and started running to her bus station.

In fact, she didn't stop near it, but went further. There was dark and windy night, as she roamed through the city, feeling alone, useless and worthless.

\- Of course, I should have thought about how I look like and how other girls look... - she winced, touching her shoulder-length hair and worn jeans. - Now I think my chance is gone.

Ryuuku was hearing her with curiosity, didn't knowing if she was talking to him or just speaking aloud her thoughts.

\- It seems like you've forgot about something... - he said finally, poking girl's arm with his long finger.

\- What about?

\- You still have the note - he answered quietly. Shadows of the night were playing on his unusual features.

Firstly she turned her head, sighing and closing her eyes, but then she opened them with changed sight and said:

\- Yes, Ryuuku. I still have a note and maybe the next opportunity to use it have come.

Through the next days she wasn't thinking seriously anymore about using the note, but... that moment finally came.

\- Why are you so happy today? - the girl asked her workmate, Mark.

\- Oh... - he said, reminescent, smiling gently. - Maria. She's like an angel and I'm gonna meet that angel once again tonight...

\- Is she tall and blonde? I think I have seen her once near our restaurant - Neris tried to keep the conversation with emotionless face, but she felt her heart is breaking in two.

\- Yes, she looks totally stunning... and she's so nice to wait for me until I finish my work! - he keep talking and seemed not to hear nor see anything around him.

She went back to her work with polishing glasses, but soon two of them were broken, as she noticed Mark's girlfriend coming in. 'Is she going to sit here and wait for him?', Neris asked herself, frowning. Work is work and she must ask her about something to drink, but she did it with shaking hands.

\- Why are you still so cranky? You didn't like Mark's girl, right?

\- Didn't like? I _hate_ her. She's so perfect, but so fake, I could see it - she snapped, clenching her fist. - Mark is so cute and caring boy - she added, in fact thinking: 'why haven't he even noticed that I'm a girl, too, and that I'm interested with him?'.

Since that day she decided to find out what's Maria's full name.


End file.
